Death of the Huerfang: Trouble Afoot

[Cptdragon9]

((Startin’ when Tristan and Helaina would show up for their shopping expedition…))

At least his skin didn’t prickle when they stepped through the ‘port. Of course it wasn’t skin he was wearing anymore but crusty stonework. Oh it was very pretty and damn near indestructible, but it clearly dampened his contact with the world. Probably what they were aiming for when the bottled him up in here. He’d just have to bid his time and hope that luck gave him an out. Yes he could just hop off the planet and be free of his fetters, but frankly there were scarier things scampering about in the universe. He was, damning as it was, safer on the planet. He’d just have to suffer the inconveniences for now.

Besides he did manage to finagle his way out of the confines of the castle. He breathed in deeply, somewhat registering the scents of the food stands as they walked along. Helaina was like a pin ball, careening across the pathway from one storefront to another, oohing and aahing at every little trinket and morsel that caught her eye, which apparently was everything. Did they not take this girl for a walk every now and then? For all the energy she burned, he could have run her on a treadmill like a hamster in a Habitrail™ wheel and generated enough juice to run a small city. Maybe even a mid-sized metropolis. He still played the simpleton, scampering after her like an errant pet. It gave him cause to test drive the body, learning it’s limitations. It wasn’t a bad body, per se; but for one that was used to driving the Lamborghini of bodies, it was much like being stuffed in a VW bug. Hardy? Yes. Tough? No doubt. But it had no finesse. No “power steering.”

Helaina had stopped, lingering longer at one particular open stand; clearly something had caught her attention. He trotted over, jumping up on the rim to see what bauble she was bubbling over. There were quite a few trinkets in the case, most spin from silver or white gold; many etched in runes, and a few had that warm aura of magic around them. The little princess was holding a pendant aloft, gazing at the intricate carving and the flow of the malleable metals shaped in a heart.

Of course. Simple love-struck puppy.

Tristan continued to watch over the child, keeping an eye out for potential danger. He knew he might well have stepped in it, volunteering to safeguard his charge. All the Vashtalians had to do was see that Helaina was somehow harmed and they would have the opportunity to punt his ass off the planet; or perhaps allow that infernal sword to munch on his hinder. Tristan didn’t think they’d stoop so low, what with their honor possibly in jeopardy if anything should befall anyone within their borders; but then again politics can be an awfully dirty game.

And he played such games like a pro, therefore he expected his adversaries to conduct themselves in kind.

[Solem'cleavu]

Of course Claw wasn't far away, simply watching the little one with mild amusement as she ventured from one merchant shop to another. He too had wandered over to where Helaina had stopped, kneeling down a bit so he could get a better look at what she had. "Hmm, although I'm sure he'd accept it since it would come from you that pendant just doesn't seem to be a good match for young Dante in my opinion. Besides judging by the design it looks like that pendant may have been designed more with girls and women in mind than a boy."

[Cptdragon9]

Pouting Helaina whirled about , nearly knocking Tristan off his perch, had he not ducked in time. “Prince Rex,” she enunciated with that royal authoritative voice. “What think you of this trinket?”

It took a firm grip on his funny bone to keep him from laughing out loud, enchanted with the idea that he was heir to the Rex’s throne (which he was, just not by right of birth). Indeed he might well make them use the title if and when he wrested it from the still form of the current Rex’s dead body, when that opportunity presented itself.

Now he regarded the very effeminate bauble Helaina held aloft. “it is indeed a very pretty piece. I would be honored if my lady love purchased such an item for me.” It was more likely she’d bash his skull in, but that was neither here nor there. “But I fear that the dragon wizard is correct. It is too dainty for a male of Dante’s statue.”

He now gestured with a stubby wing. “Come. There is an entire bazaar to explore. I am quite sure we can find an appropriate piece to represent your desire of my kin.”

[Solem'cleavu]

Claw had just followed along a bit thinking until he spoke up. "Well as a thought since he is training under Lord Dracon and Lady Melissa then perhaps a practice blade would suit him better. Or perhaps a puzzle that he can manipulate that would allow him to learn more control over his mental abilities. As for something not related to his training...I have an idea. You can get him a pendant designed with his family crest, I still remember what the Clan Windwalker crest looks like."

[Cptdragon9]

Across the way “Tully” was likewise working her way through the bazaar with a shopping list and a basket. She’d been sent out to pick up a few last minute items that the Black Inn had found themselves in need for the evening’s respite. A bit overwhelmed at first, she’d quickly figured out her place in the shop. It was mostly drudge work, and despite what most people thought of lords and their castles, Estelle had spent many a time scrubbing floors with her staff in preparation for a coming dignitary or royal. So washing the floorboards and scrubbing out a pot were not unknown to her. Just the amount of work entailed. When she had a castle, she had a staff at her beckon call. Here it was her at the call and there were a few nights she thought she was nearly split three ways by the demands of the inn.

Still it was a learning experience, and she wasn’t continuously leashed down by the work. She did have some free time to explore, and even during time like this when she was sent on errands, she was quickly learning about what the world was like outside castle walls. Currently she was trying to reach the herb store before they closed for the day. The crumbs found in the bottle of the glass jar were not going to do, not for the heavily spiced stew planned for the evening meal. Tully squeezed her way gently through the crowd, keeping a firm hand clenched on the pouch that held the few coins she needed for the purchase. She’d learned it was the best way to deal with pickpockets, just to hold the purse out in front where she could see it plainly, rather than try to hide it on her person. A young man at the inn had opened her eyes, proving that even if she slipped the pouch between her breasts, he could still manage to slip if free without her noticing. Since it had been a demonstration on his part, and her behest; he’d returned it graciously, and she’d paid him a coin for his eye-opening exercise.

Armed with this knowledge, she’d changed how she handled cash, especially out in the open where anyone could see. She kept only that which she knew she was going to spend clenched in her fist, the rest wadded up in the toe of her shoe. Currently that was empty as this was her last stop before she would have to rush back to the inn. She paused, letting a dogcart cross the street before skipping across the way to the stand next to the jewlry booth, taking only quick notice to the pretty dragon golem shuffling next to the raven haired child. Only when she spotted the back of the Vashtalian robes did she veer her path. She didn’t want her ruse discovered just yet, so she slipped into the draped stand from the other side to make her purchases….

Tristan was about to say something about the useless nature of family crests when he picked up an odd thought; something that seemed out of place for the setting. He swiveled the long segmented neck of the golem body just in time to see the young slip of woman slide into the adjacent booth, clearly wanting not to be noticed. Of course He would notice, just the way the girl moved betrayed any sort of subterfuge. One of his little pert bejeweled ears swiveled a bit, as if listening to the wind before he decided to pass. He had enough trouble to keep him busy and being distracted by a slip of a girl wasn’t going to get him one step closer to exacting his price. He turned back to Helaina and her escort, wondering what sort of misaligned bauble they would end up getting this hirsute of a Rex.

[Solem'cleavu]

((well, figured dawn was gonna post helaina at some point but I suppose not heh))

Clawrift simply quirked a brow at the familiar presence he felt then looked over his shoulder just in time to see the girl duck into a side stall. Then he just shrugged before returning his attention on Helaina, simply waiting on her decision as to what she would want to get Dante.

[Cptdragon9]

Helaina couldn’t make up her mind. Just when she thought she’d found the perfect token of her affection, another bauble would catch her eye and she would forsake the previous devote item for the new one. She remained at this pace for nearly half an hour, even picking up one of the discarded prizes, hoisting up to incredibly new heights of adoration, before once again discarding it for another.

It was enough to drive anyone insane, and those that lacked patience with incompetence to begin with would find it teeth-grindingly inane. Tristan had to slip off the dais and step back, if just to keep himself from clenching his golem jaw so tightly that it might well crack under the strain; which would have been quite a feat since he was supposedly indestructible in the current form.

Besides, his curiosity was getting the best of him.

While he kept one mental ear reluctantly on his charge (“Oh isn’t this just Darlin!” Helaina had squealed as she clutched as a very sparkly gem for the third time in a row); he backed his way back down to the floor before nonchalantly making his way to the adjoining screened booth. Many of the constructs had drapes of cloth to help partition the sales area and give their booths the appearance of something more than just a table with wares strewn upon it. This one happened to house herbs of every cause and means. Most were for cooking, though there was a modest selection for use in spell weaving. Tristan gave a dismissive snort at the mere idea. By the time somebody got done chanting their spells and brewing their potions, he could have completed the same task with a mental whim; and with much more efficiency. Nothing like having an army of budding zombies to do your bidding after all.

What did catch his attention was the young woman that he’d only caught a brief glimpse of, the young maiden whose movements didn’t match the means. He didn’t need his mental mojo to know that this woman was not the scullery maid she pretended to be despite the dress. He could “hear” the conversation buzzing about in her brain, catching snippets of how much the bustling of the streets remind her of the kitchens back at her castle just before the evening meal.

Ah, he mused. A princess in hiding. It would explain the delicate hands that bore no signs of callousness, though they did sport fresh bruises and blisters, injuries that would occur to tender hands not used to scrubbing floors, dishes, and tables. He also caught the mental whiff of her desire to remain hidden, especially from the very Vashtalian escort that was currently his unwanted vanguard.

Now he was Very intrigued.

The petite golem shuffled further into the small shop, easily weaving his way around the display baskets to regard the woman, this “Tully” as he managed to glean from her mind. She was frowning, looking over three different baskets, each containing a variation of oregano, each with their own special properties. He scooted up so that he caught the corner of her eye. “Can I help?” he asked in that ever-so-sweet voice.

“Oh,” she jerked back a bit, surprized that the tiny bejweled reptile was able to talk. She had thought it a toy, or at best a pet; of the little lady that had been digging through the jewelry next door. She didn’t know this creature, but she was at a loss. “I was to purchase some oregano, but I don’t know which flavor. They didn’t specify on this list.” She even showed Tristan the small slip of paper, each item having been listed in her quaint if somewhat bubbly handwriting.

Tristan squinted at the list (damnable fake eyes have no definition, he woeful complained to himself). “Well clearly you need something to cook with. Let me see here…” He swiveled the jointed neck around to gaze at the three baskets. “Not this stuff. This is actually marjoram. Pot marjoram, they call it. Not bad in its own right, but not strong enough. And this…” He extended a delicate crystalline paw into the basket and palmed some of the herb. “See how large and flat the leaf is? I’m guessing this is some semblance of Greek Oregano. Oh it’s very pretty, but smell.” He held his paw aloft, and Tully did indeed smell. “That’s not very strong. Which leaves us with this. Smaller buds, yes, but try…”

Again he held up another offering. She inhaled and nearly started coughing. “Oh my, that Is strong!”

“And that’s what you want. Flavor.”

Now the girl was smiling. She actually was quite pretty, even though she was trying to hide it under babushkas and kitchen grime. In fact he had that old familiar feeling starting to bubble once again, a feeling he had to stuff back under. No way he would be able to get away with his gristly shenanigans here. Besides, this might well lead to something entertaining, and there was no need to spoil it; at least right off the bat. As it was she was showering him with praises. “Thank you, kind beast! I might have purchase the wrong item and failed miserably. Pray tell, what is your name?”

“My name? Oh, I’m just Tristan. I’m just visiting for a while, but I do hope to bump into you again. Maybe you’ll need some help on selecting wines to go with your meal?” He tried to not make his words sound as cheesy or sleazy as his father’s. Of course Timothy could make even reciting proverbs from the Bible sound slutty, and he wasn’t trying to score. At least not yet.

[Solem'cleavu]

Clawrift just sighed as he noticed the little rat slink away. What he did do however was take out a small piece of parchment, jotting down a small message on it before he teleported it to hover directly in front of "Tully" at the same moment that Tristan would suddenly find himself teleported back to the castle.

The note that was effectively given to Tully simply read:

"For future notice, don't trust the little crystalline rat young one.

Due to certain circumstances we must keep him alive however

he is one of the whelps that were responsible for your earlier

captivity.

Also, I do not know why you are wandering around in disguise however your secret is safe with this old mage.

After all your reasons are none of our business, I won't say anything. Be well m'lady.

-Clawrift-"

In the meantime Claw just watched Helaina and patiently waited for her to make her decision.

[Cptdragon9]

Olivia read the note inhaling sharply at first, then again as if it took a few moment to realize that her mission was not in jeopardy. It seemed that the dragon mage would keep her secret. She would, however; have to watch herself. If Clawrift recognized her, then any of the other Vashtalian lizards could as well. She must be more cautious.

　

Of course there was this other matter. She now looked down at the bejeweled lizard fawning at her feet. “This note says that you were responsible for my capture. Is this true? Did you steal me from my home and have me tortured?”

　

Tristan had watched the note appear from nowhere, then felt the changing emotion in the young woman, and in that moment realized who it was that was skulking under the guise of a poor peasant. Clearly that obnoxious gold-plated iguana had spilled the beans, but toppled legumes did not necessarily mean a spoiled meal. Not while his tongue was allowed to wag. “I… I did, m’lady; but please hear me out. Much like yourself, I was kept underfoot by a rather evil beast (well it wasn’t a lie, so far) I had to do his bidding less I become one of the dead as well. But I did help institute your release once I was able to undermine the creature’s advantage, along with all the other captives (again a simple truth, if not fully detailed).”

　

The tiny reptile leaned in closer. “There was a pact that I remain away from this place, but I risked that treaty to bring news that trouble may well be coming back here to threaten this planet (two facts, not necessarily linked together except by conjunction).” He paused, trying to gauge her acceptance of his explanation then pressed forward. “The Vashtalians have even given me leave, but I still remain. I fear they will need my talents should this danger come home to roost.”

　

So he left out a few detail, but again he wasn’t fully lying, In fact if what he suspected Had happened, these stupid dragons were most definitely going to need his help…

　

… but it would come at a very steep price.

　

For now he sensed that Olivia was at least, in part, buying into his explanation, despite the intrepid warning from that nosey dragon. “I did suffer, in fact I still suffer. But I can imagine that many suffered in the shadow of the creature. If you were responsible for my freedom, I suppose it would go in measure of recompense for by capture, especially if you were forced to do so.”

　

Olivia wasn’t sure, of course; much of her memory of the event were more a thing of dreams than of reality; but she did know that it was some sort of demigod responsible for the thrust of pain and discord. The Vashtalians, along with those that named themselves Mutants, and even their sworn enemies the Militants; had banded together to rescue not only herself, but everyone under the creature’s control, including many people from other realms and worlds. Most of them had been returned, but a few had stayed, and even their stories had managed to drift though her castle.

　

Still she had to take Lord Clawrift’s warning in measure.

As she turned to speak to the petite creature, it suddenly dissapeared.....

　

　

Meanwhile Helaina had finally found what she felt was the most brilliant gold stone that sparkled much like Dante’s eyes when he had that glint of mutant mischief. The stone had a small gold dragon woven about it, as if it were coiling in protection of the gem. Even though it was clearly a lady’s pendant, she thought it was a tiny version of Dante (even though she didn’t know he turned into a black dragon, not a gold one) “This is it!” she nearly shouted, turning a few heads in the marketplace as she held the piece aloft for all to see.

[Solem'cleavu]

Claw merely chuckled a bit before he knelt down to get a better look at the item. "Well, it would seem like it would fit a woman better than Dante however I have an idea. Take this pendant to my son Lord Aerich and he will modify just a bit to make it look more like something that Dante may not mind wearing. I will pay for the item here as I have other business I need to attend to however you can just pay Aerich for the modifications. I will teleport you to the hangar area, he may be there at this time if not one of the guards should be able to tell you where he is." Claw just smiled a bit and before Helaina could say anything he teleported her out of the area. Where she would end up would be just outside Aerich's workshop in the ADA Hangar area.

After paying for the little bauble, a bit too much he figured, he simply waited outside the herb stall for Tully so he could speak with her a bit more.

[Cptdragon9]

Estelle waited, and after hearing the ruckus diminish next door, she assumed that the girl and her entourage, along with the Vashtalian mage, had continued further down the row. Only then did she emerge…

Only to nearly bump right into Clawrift himself.

She caught herself, giving a short gasp before looking about to see if anyone noticed the dragonmage’s interest in the “scullery maid”.

(I’ll start another thread back at the castle for Tristan and Helaina)

[Solem'cleavu]

For the most part he was just making it look like he was thinking about something as he did stand more or less out of the way. Once he saw Estelle though he just made a motion for her to walk with him as he started walking back towards the direction of the black inn although he did turn down less busy street so they could talk a bit more freely.

[Cptdragon9]

Estelle could have easily slipped away and headed in the opposite direction, but that would not have solved any problems and quite possibly made a few more. It was best to get this over with before he could expose her. She gave a soft sigh, collected basket of herbs and slowly followed suit, trying to be as surreptitious as possible; a feat which was made easier with the mulling traffic.

When the foot traffic had subsided, she finally queried him. “What would you have of me, m’lord?”

[Solem'cleavu]

"There was no need to be so cautious young one. I have placed an enchantment over this entire area to reduce our collective "presence" so no one is really going to be paying any attention to us while we talk. I would be hard pressed indeed if anyone would pay attention to us even if we were to scream at the top of our lungs right now with my enchantment in place. Basically to everyone else we are just part of the crowd, we are nobody." Claw merely shrugged at her question. "Nothing really, since I noticed you wandering around I just thought I would simply ask how you were doing and to expand on my warning about that little crystalline rat you were speaking with earlier."

The mage then produced a couple apples he had bought earlier from one of the pockets of his robes and held one out to Estelle while he took a bite out of the other. "Simply put I want to re-iterate that you should not trust a word that comes out of him. I'm sure he gave some speech or another about how he's needed and that may end up becoming true however at this point I can say that we have no need of him. We expect him to be back off this world in a week anyway."

[Cptdragon9]

Estelle bit her lip. She had done her level best to keep her father’s passing a secret, but she had already heard an occasional rumor even in the Black Inn, that there was trouble from the Huerfang Estate. Speculation had run from theft to blackmail to assassination, but nobody seemed to have the whole truth of it. She wasn’t even sure herself of the truth of it, which was why she had gone through all this; to learn the truth of the world.

Which made the dragon’s edict about not trusting Tristan’s words somewhat suspect in its own right.

Of course Claw wasn’t exposing her own ruse, of which she was thankful, but she didn’t want to taint anything she heard or saw with any preface offered by any of the Vashtalians. Still she had a chance now to grill the dragon on his words. “Is it true what he said, that he help rescue us? Even though he was responsible in our capture?”

[Solem'cleavu]

Clawrift simply sighed. "That is the truth of it and I will admit, as will Lord Dracon that without Tristan's assistance we could not have gotten so many of you back to your homes in as short a time as we did. It was a matter of joining up against a common enemy. However I must state that even though he did help he is still very much following his own agendas that cannot necessarily be trusted. You must learn to "read between the lines" as it were with that one."

Reaching into his pocket again and produced a bracelet which he held out to her. "This will help you maintain your disguise, only those who have seen through your disguise already will be able to tell it is you as long as you wear it. It will also help protect your mind from being invaded. Another one of that whelp Tristan's specialties and I would not doubt that he already knows who you really are because of it. You can choose to ignore our words and warning about anything else but I must stress that you be careful around Tristan should you find yourself speaking with him again. He is a being that will bend truth, reword it to accomplish what he wants."

Taking another bite of the apple before the mage continued. "That is enough about Tristan though, I've said all that could be said regarding him, whether you take my advise about him or not is entirely up to you. Another thing you should be aware of is our own actions. As you are wandering about you should be aware that the Vashtalian government has scouts stationed all over so even though I will not say anything to Dracon I cannot make the same guarantee for any scout who may notice and recognize you. With this bracelet though I do not see that as being a problem as the majority of the scouts do not know you or what you look like normally. Besides it's none of our business why you are out and about so even if Dracon did get any reports about you wandering around it's not like he's going to do anything about it except keep an eye on you so you don't come to any harm."

[Cptdragon9]

Estella seemed to breathe easier, especially with the promise and the additional safeguards that Claw offered to keep her identity safe. It may have seem a small thing, but the trust level, at least with the dragon mage, had risen a degree or two. “Thank you, my lord. I do appreciate the help in keeping my true background hidden, at least for a while. I am… investigating… and need to use this guise for a while until I have certain answers. I do not know how long it will take me, and I appreciate your digression until my tasks are completed. I will also keep in mind your warning about Tristan. Now I must away before I am late for the dinner rush.” She gave a hasty bow and ran, darting through the milling throng of shippers before Clawrift could pursue the matter with any more questions.

[Solem'cleavu]

Claw merely chuckled before he waved her off as she ran off. Once she was gone he dropped his enchantments then teleported back home himself.

[Solem'cleavu]

((well this one kinda sat stagnant for a while, may as well try to bring it back to life))

By the time Olivia would make it back to the inn the first customers of the evening would begin to make their way into the building. Karla herself was taking up a spot more near the bar this time around for her nightly "bouncer" duties. Legs crossed while she leaned back in her seat some watching the interactions between her employees and the patrons.

[Cptdragon9]

Any worries Olivia had about her secret being outted was pushed to the back burner as she hustled through the tavern. Between serving quite a few drinks, several platters of meat, cheese, breads and fruits; then hustling afterwards to bus the tables and wiped down the counters in preparation for the next wave of patrons soon wore out the little princess in hiding. Though she was dog-tired by the end of the day, she still at least attempted to pull her own weight.

When it came to chit-chatting with the patrons themselves, Olivia found out quite quickly that most were in jovial moods; whether in celebration of an event (an engagement) or just relieved to be off shift from work, or looking for a decent meal after being out to sea. They may have seem brusque at first, but as the night wore on, Olivia could tell that most came here to unwind and perhaps gossip a bit, rather than cause any trouble.

But then again that might also be due to Karla’s ever-looming presence, casting an unseen net of protection over her employees with just a glare at anyone even tempting fate by reaching for an unguarded skirt.

[Solem'cleavu]

For the most part it was only the few idiots, few and far between themselves, that usually end up trying to tempt such a fate. Most of the time however everyone understood the unspoken rule to not touch her employees. As for Karla herself, it would seem that none of the patrons or even any of her employees really knew whether or not she was watching things in the common room. Even though she was sitting in plain sight, at a table in the far corner next to the bar, at a quick glance it would seem that not only herself but the entire table simply were not there. Indeed the only ones that saw her at all were the few individuals, usually any one of the waitresses that had a question, who looked for her specifically.

Once the hour grew late and the common area of the inn was closed for the night Karla had bid the last of her employees a good night before the girl left for home. Karla however made her way over to her office, signalling for Tully to join her. Taking a seat in her chair behind the desk Karla waited for Tully to close the door behind her and take a seat before she began. "So, find any of the answers you're looking for yet?"

[Cptdragon9]

Estelle had to wonder if Kara knew who she was, but Lord Dracon had promised to keep her secret so she could only assume that her boss was inquiring only on principal. A woman relocating in a new town, taking up an odd job might indeed mean she’s looking for a new start.

And in a way she was.

Still she was a bit guarded. After her encounter brief and frightening kidnapping she had to be careful, even with those that were only trying to be supportive. Tully had learned that lesson very quickly. “I… I am still looking,” she admitted without giving much detail. “It is a wonder that so many people can live together; so much diversity with class and rank and file, but still somehow congeal. It is a wonder that it isn’t more discordant and chaotic than it appears.”

…………….

While Tully spoke with Karla, the small waddling form of the dragon golem made its way through the streets with his lab-coated compatriot at his side. Tristan easily honed in on the wavelength that had piqued his curiosity before and soon found himself outside the inn where Tully currently worked. “Interesting choice of profession.”

The Doctor only gave a small “hmmmmm,” in reply.

Tristan climbed the steep steps and toddled inside, looking over the innards of the bar, searching for his newest recruit….

[Solem'cleavu]

Karla simply nodded. "Strange how that works out isn't it? Well I mostly called you in here because I wished to offer you the opportunity to travel around this nation as well as the rest of this world along with me starting the day after tomorrow. Every year I take this little trip and it would be a great way for you to learn more about everything.." Quirking a brow then as she heard the front entrance open and close. "Excuse me a moment." Standing up at that point she walked out of the office closing the door behind her. However soon as she saw who it was she brought her arm up that bow of hers appearing in her hand even as she nocked an arrow and aimed it right at that crystalline little head. "Even though it is my fault I suppose for not making sure that door was locked I will let you know now. This inn is currently closed and no rooms are available which is clearly marked outside. I will ask you only this once to leave."

[Cptdragon9]

Tristan was not surprised that word of his misdeeds had spread so far and wide, but he still raised a brow as to the degree of hostility he’d managed to garner. If he were in his former body, he would have instantly readjusted the woman’s attitude then meted out proper punishment, then possibly sate himself by abusing the woman so badly that she’d be sobbing in the corner. The current situation however dictated that he at least act and conduct himself with some decorum. “Ah Miss… Karla, isn’t it? I mean no harm to you and yours. I am merely searching for the young lady that is currently calling herself Tully. I had sensed her nearby and I have a business proposition for her. Nothing rude or socially unacceptable, mind you."

　

By this time Tully had ventured to the door to see where Karla had gone to and spotted her speaking with the little golem creature that she now knew to be one of the mutants known as Tristan. Despite Lord Dracon’s warnings, she still didn’t perceive the creature as dangerous. Petulant, especially with the Vashtalian dragon-kind, but it was difficult to see anything inherently evil with the creature. She stepped from the room and approached the duo. “Lord Tristan, what are you doing here?”

　

“Ah, the very lady I was looking for. I have a task I need to complete and I have need of your services.” He hadn’t moved from the spot, not with Karla’s arrow trained on his left eye. He doubted that the arrow would do much more than just careen off his rocky exterior, but he didn’t really want to push the issue. There was no fully trusting all this magic nonsense afterall. Instead he remained looking as innocuous as possible

[Solem'cleavu]

Well, this was annoying. She really had no wish to expose her identity to Tully however it would look like she would have no choice. It was either point out why Tristan's recruiting of Tully, or rather Estelle, would be a bad idea or let the girl decide to go with him and risk her ending up possibly dead. "You will leave now little one by the order of Lord Dracon. Upon your departure from the castle he had sent orders to the entirety of the Scout Division operating outside of Vashtalian borders to ensure you stick to your agreement with him. Outside of Vashtalia or the Mutant clan there are very few people you are not to attempt to recruit and this girl is one of them. If you continue with this course of action it will be considered a breach of the current agreement as well as any past agreement you have made with the Vashtalian Royal Family.

If you wish to risk it then so be it but I would advise against it. We were also ordered to remind you that Lord Dracon has already stated that the only people he could think of in Rhydin and Lahnia that you would try to recruit were also included in his warning to you."

At this time she had turned her attention slightly to Tully. "Do not listen to him, you may not think he's dangerous but the proposition he has for you is indeed dangerous. Besides he does not wish to recruit you as any kind of equal. He just needs some decoys."